Reviews (33)

Engrossing, changed my perception
I just watched this film last night, and I haven't been able to stop thinking about it. I loved this film so much that I went and bought the book by Somerset Maugham today.

A young man disillusioned with the "conventional" life deemed worthy by society treks through Paris and reaches India, finding there spiritual fulfillment. He comes back to the United States a changed man, only to find that his childhood friends have changed--mostly for the worst.

Terrific performances, especially by Anne Baxter, who won the Academy Award for best supporting actress through her role as Sophie in this film.

Although 2 and half hours long, this movie will keep you glued to your seat. Beautifully written, directed, and played. Highly recommended.

If you want a movie you will watch over and over again--a movie that will make you think and question--watch The Razor's Edge.

Ambitious, but Flawed Adaptation
This film has achieved "classic" status, yet it looks a bit shop-worn and creaky in some respects, when approached from a modern perspective. This is, overall, a highly stylized treatment of Maugham's novel. Scriptwriter Lamar Troti definitely focuses on the melodramatic elements of Larry Darrel's spiritual odyssey. Maugham was a highly realistic novelist. His subtle wit and sharp observations are buried under here in the moviemaker's wallowing in the bathetic.

The performers, with the exception of Clifton Webb as Uncle Elliot and Herbert Marshall as Somerset Maugham, are decidedly from the "studied" school of drama. Tyrone Power, in particular, is at times painful to watch, especially in the scenes opposite Tierney. Such emoting might work on stage, but before a camera, the overblown gestures, lack of facial expression, and wooden delivery border on the farcical. Tierney is a delight to look at, but her emotive range is severely limited as well. She seems to have two modes: coquettish or angry. Sure, this stylized sort of performance was the order of the day in 40s Hollywood, but it looks really dated these days. And there were exceptions, even then. One can well imagine what actors the caliber of Olivier and Leigh would have done with the roles. Anne Baxter, who received a Best Supporting Actress Oscar for her performance as the unfortunate Sophie, is also guilty of overacting, at least by naturalistic standards. She could have used a dose or two of Ibsen.

Which brings us to the two bright spots, performance wise. Clifton Webb probably would have won a Best Supporting Actor Oscar, had he not received one two years earlier for his work in "Laura." His death bed scene, though maudlin as all get out, is nonetheless unforgettable. The man had a knack for line delivery. He made a character with despicable motives and questionable morals, somehow sympathetic, even loveable. Herbert Marshall delivers an understated, brilliant portrayal of author Maugham. As reviewer Bernie mentions, it's easy to make the mistake when we envision Maugham in our mind's eye as looking identical to Marshall. I thought the first time I viewed the film that it was Maugham playing the part, as it's not a polished or studied performance in the least. He acts as if he's too shy to actually face the camera in most scenes, which fits the character perfectly. Most of the time he is the half reluctant, frequently uncomfortable observer, standing on the perifery, making mental notes for his next novel. A great piece of acting.

Even though the lead actors turn in stagey performances and the script may not be true to the tone of Maugham's novel, the movie still "works" on many levels. It's too good a story to completely mess up. If you can accept it as a product of cinematic trends of the era and allow that audiences of the time bought into the concept that over emoting and over gesticulating was something screen stars were supposed to do, you may find, as I did, that this is still a very enjoyable film

BEK

Do yourself a favor and skip this one.
Maughm's outstanding book deserves much better than this. The 1980's film of the same title (with Bill Murray)is a MUCH better and truer presentation of the story than is this bit of fluff. Do yourself a favor and see the other film, or better yet read the book!

Worth watching but not buying
Having watched the movie directly subsequent to reading the wonderful text, I knew that the film version would leave something to be desired, but I didn't know it would not only abridge the book, but alter many scenes as well -- for the worse. The first 30 minutes were superb -- as was Clifton Webb as Elliott Templeton. Tyrone Power just didn't seem like the right match to me -- he was perhaps a trifle guarded and meticulous in his portrayal of the winsome and quixotic Larry Darrell.

Also, too many totally unnecessary, not to mention disconcerting, deviations from the text result as well. These include, but are not limited to: Larry's supposedly rough and bearded appearance when he returns from India (he comes back not only clean shaven but in a suit), Isabel (instead of Larry) recommends the vulgar bar where they meet Sophie, Isabel leaves to the dentist AFTER (not before) Sophie arrives, Larry accuses Isabel of getting Sophie drunk (instead of Maugham), Isabel and Gray arrive before Elliott dies (instead of after), and last but certainly not least, Suzanne Rouvier, a rather paramount character in the novel, is conspicuously absent from the ENTIRE movie. Overall, I found it worth watching, yet hardly riveting or true to the text -- to put it mildly.

Hindu Sage based on Ramana Maharshi
I really enjoyed this film. It was nice to find a film from 1946 dealing with philosophy and spirituality. I wanted to add that the sage represented in the film and book was based on the actual sage Ramana Maharshi, whom Carl Jung has spoken very highly of. For a sample of his work, I would recommend "The Spiritual Teaching of Ramana Maharshi", which includes an introduction by Carl Jung. I recommend this film! ... Read more

Reviews (8)

Flynn in Excellent Drama of WWI Aviators...
THE DAWN PATROL, Errol Flynn's final film of his busiest year as an actor (1938), is a fascinating counterpoint to his usual swashbuckling and light comic roles. A remake of Howard Hawks' 1930 classic, this is a tale of war-weary WWI aviators, called upon to risk their lives daily, in broken-down aircraft, on missions they consider impossible (a timeless war theme that would reappear in such WWII classics as COMMAND DECISION and TWELVE O'CLOCK HIGH). Directed by WWI veteran Edmund Goulding, best known for his big-budget romances (GRAND HOTEL), the film counterpoints the gritty, harsh realities on the ground with the nearly surreal quality of early air battles, as bi-planes with open cockpits whirl and swoop like insects, and enemy airmen would occasionally drop out possessions of dead pilots over airfields, in a chivalrous gesture.

Fellow pilots Courtney and Scott (portrayed by real-life friends Flynn and David Niven, again showing the rapport they had demonstrated so effectively in 1936's THE CHARGE OF THE LIGHT BRIGADE) are battle-tested veterans, hell-raising survivors of a squadron decimated by the war. Seeing a constant influx of 'green' kids replacing lost friends, and knowing too well that the rookies' inexperience will quickly cost them their lives, the pair vent their anger against their commander, the coldly 'by-the-book' Maj. Brand (in a remarkable performance by frequent Flynn nemesis, Basil Rathbone). Courtney constantly condemns and belittles Maj. Brand, accusing him of placing 'The Mission' over the lives of the men under his command, which makes Courtney a hero in the eyes of the fliers.

Finally, Brand cracks, and is approved for reassignment, and Courtney is chosen to replace him. In a powerful scene, Brand lets his cold 'facade' down, and reveals, bitterly, to the younger man that seeing his men sent on suicide missions, daily, had literally crushed him. Unknown to the squadron, Brand had constantly begged HQ to ease up, but had been 'shot down' each time, as the missions were essential. "Now it's YOUR turn," Brand sneers, "See how YOU enjoy it!"

Brand's words are prophetic, as Courtney quickly discovers himself in the same situation, as the despised scapegoat, with Scott assuming the role of spokesperson and savior to the squadron. And the most dangerous mission yet has just come down from HQ...

DAWN PATROL is a powerful film, with great performances from the entire cast, particularly Flynn, who had often begged the WB to give him roles beyond his 'swashbuckler' image. The critical praise it garnered proved Flynn's versatility as an actor (although public demand would keep him 'locked' into adventure films), and raised David Niven up to 'star' status.

It remains one of the BEST films about the 'Great War', and shouldn't be missed!

A play that is neatly turned into a great film
The Dawn Patrol is a good film. It appears to be based on a play as most of the real action takes place in the barracks of an air corp in France during the first world war. Basil Rathbone is the commander who sends untrained boys off to the death in hopeless battles. Flynn and Niven play more senior officers who try to kep them alive amid the slaughter.

Despite its morose sounding material, it has many funny incidents. Flynn and Niven play airman who face death at any day and enjoy each moment of life. The film reaches a climax when Rathbone is promoted and Flynn is given command and friction erupts between him and Niven as they send more young boys to the their death.

The resolution is implausible and contains some of the most ludicrous bombing scenes imaginable. But the action scenes are really window dressing for the action below. A fine film that would be a precursor for Command Decision and Twelve O'Clock High. The film Aces High also owes a great deal to this film.

A fantastic story on the futuility of warfare
There have been many films made about the nature of warfare, about its futility, and about the effects that it can have a on a person. But this has to be one of the greatest.

Strangely, what I love most about this movie is what it has in common with one of my favorite westerns, "The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly". You may wonder what these two movies could possibly have in common. Well...

In "The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly", there's a part toward the end of the movie where we see that the North and South are fighting over a bridge. Every day, the same thing. Both sides rush it, many die, and then both sides retreat. It never ends. Like some sort of twisted warrior's hell, people are doomed to suffer and die. For nothing. That was a great movie because of that part. Now imagine an entire movie about that one battle. That's just what "The Dawn Patrol" is.

Errol Flynn and his best friend David Niven are in the middle of a seemingly endless war, fought in their case with planes over the same stretches of land. Again and again they fly out on their patrol. Again and again young innocent men die. For a strip of land. For nothing.

And because they must continually fight these battles, they eventually lose all their fear. It all becomes quite unreal. They start fooling around and having fun on their missions, showing off. In short, viewing it like it's just a job they have to do, nothing more. And Errol Flynn excels at playing a ruffian who cares for nothing. But then...

The commander of the base (played to perfection by Basil Rathbone) where he and his friend live gets promoted because of a stunt he pulled. And guess who gets to fill his hellish job of sending young fools to a quick, painful death. When the stress starts to build, and circumstances pit our hero against his best friend, and when honor forces him to do what he feels is right no matter what the cost...

This movie is truly the finest hour of Errol Flynn, David Niven, and Basil Rathbone combines. All shine in this movie. It's great suspense, great drama and great film-making. If you love war movies, or just good movies in general, BUY THIS MOVIE.

A WONDERFUL VEHICLE FOR ERROL FLYNN.
The performances of Flynn and Rathbone shine in this fine remake of the 193O original - which conveniently used much of the same aerial footage. Major Brand (Basil Rathbone), the commanding officer of a squadron of the British Royal Flying Corps stationed in France, has been called a butcher by his top officer, Captain Courtney (Errol Flynn) - because of his hardened attitude toward sending inexperienced young flyers to their death. Courtney and his best friend, Lieutenant Scott (David Niven), have their own way of coping with the constant death of new recruits; they drink a toast to the dead, sing a song, and then go back to devising diverting, thrill-seeking pranks...It has been implied that Howard Hughes sued Warner Bros. claiming that certain story ideas and techniques which were used in this film were curiously similar to some of those used in his 193O production HELL'S ANGELS. Hughes lost the suit when it was determined that the disputed ideas originated with John Monk Saunders via his personal experiences in the air service: it WAS the basis for the first AA-winning film, the 1927 silent WINGS. In 1941, Warners blended aspects of their 1936 film CEILING ZERO and this one & came up with FLIGHT PATROL (!). Among the musical numbers which are heard in this vastly entertaining film include such vintage goodies as PACK UP YOUR TROUBLES IN AN OLD KIT BAG & POOR BUTTERFLY.

Forget "Top Gun"... here's the best aviator film ever made
An outstanding, and rather bleak, war movie, featuring Errol Flynn and David Niven as two dashing but harrowed, hard-drinking WWI fighter pilots, whose front-line unit is a constant revolving door of fresh-faced "replacements," new cadets who lack the basic skills to keep them alive for even a day or two, against the seasoned German pilots based only miles away. Basil Rathbone plays the British base's high-strung commanding officer, who feels every death as a personal blow -- following heartless orders, he sends boy after boy to an inevitable death. The worm turns when his promotion comes in, elevating the hotheaded and resentful Flynn to his position as commander, and Flynn's grief takes on an added dimension, as he becomes the one responsible for issuing the orders that transform eager young men into mere cannon fodder. The film is a typical interwar mix of pacifist-tinged pessimism and old-world chivalry: the men are gallant and brave, but resentful of the higher-ups who created and orchestrate the wars they have to fight in. The script is fascinating, with the action of the first half taking place entirely on the base. Rather than see the aerial combat, we see the psychological after-effects of the heavy personnel losses. When we do see combat, it is deflationary, either a framework for tragedy or a curse disguised as a giddy triumph. It's also well presented: the feel of the ungainly, canvas-clad prop planes that men went to war in is made palpable, as the ricketty machines bounce along the runway and sputter to life in the skies. A very good film, definitely worth watching. ... Read more

Reviews (40)

The 2nd Best Marx after Duck Soup
Night at the Opera is different from their first 5 - in a nutshell, as everyone else had commented, there's no Zeppo, more music, Margaret Dumont is back, bigger role for romantic leads, and the comedy is somewhat more disciplined, i.e., the antics are perhaps less spontaneous than earlier films.

I understand criticisms leveled by those who prefer to skip the plot, musical numbers, and romantic plot development, but I wholeheartedly disagree that the movie is somehow lesser because of it, particularly the music. The brothers were an extemely musically talented trio, and throughout their lives saw themselved less as a Comedy show and more a variety show. To disregard the musical numbers as "filler" is to show a lack of appreciation for a performing art they held in very high regard.

I have always felt The Marx Bros. were more "in Character" here than in most of their other films (Duck Soup, Horse Feathers, Animal Crackers, are also good in this regard, as is Day at the races, to a lesser degree). Everything from the contract swindle ("the party of the first part...") to the organized fooling of sgt. Henderson ("now there are four beds - I know I'm crazy!") to the stateroom bit ("Is my Aunt Minnie in here?") to the methodically brilliant destruction of Il Trovatore in the finale are examples of great writing that suited the personalities of the brothers.

Duck Soup or Horse Feathers may be their funniest films, and Animal Crackers may be more memorable for it's classic scenes, but Night at the Opera in my opinion is the most well-balanced of all thier movies. I feel it's the best-written, best-produced, has the best plot, and contains BY FAR the best acting among suporting roles. If Duck Soup weren't so well-paced and funny, Night at the Opera would be my favorite.

The Marx Brothers at their very, very, best. Classic Comedy
On the one hand I want to say that I think "A Night at the Opera" is the greatest Marx Brothers comedy because their peculiar brand of lunacy works better when given a real world target such as Opera than in the fantasy land of Freedonia in "Duck Soup." On the other hand I want to say that I think "A Night at the Opera" has more funny stuff in it than "Duck Soup." I do not even want to begin to get into any consideration of what difference the retirement of Zeppo meant in all this. I just want to laugh my head off.

Groucho is Otis P. Driftwood, too busy trying to fleece Mrs. Claypool (Margaret Dumont) to waste time running an Opera Company. Harpo is Tomasso, the much abused valet to the pompous tenor Rudolpho Lassparri (Walter Woolf King), while Chico is Fiorello, self-appointed agent for the unknown but talent young singer Ricardo Baroni (Allan Jones), who is in love with Rosa Castaldi (Kitty Carlisle). When Groucho loses his job to stuffed shirt Herman Gottlieb (Sig Ruman), it is up to the Marx Brothers to restore order and sanity to the universe.

In terms of classic comic routines "A Night at the Opera" gives you (1) the Stateroom scene with all those people (and don't forget the hardboiled eggs); (2) Groucho and Chico discussing the clauses in a contract (including the Sanity Clause); (3) Chico and Harpo working "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" into the overture of the opera (get your peanuts); (4) a dinner date between Groucho and Margaret Dumont (looking at him is the price you have to pay); and (5) Chico the Russian aviator explaining how they flew across the Atlantic Ocean in a boat (always remember to take enough gas or else you will have to turn back). There are more-you now Chico plays the piano, Harpo plays the harp, and Groucho deflates a pompous windbag at some point--but I want to talk about other things now.

I think the person who really helps sell this film is Kitty Carlisle. In every Marx brother movie there are the boys, there is Margaret Dumont as the foil, and then there are the young boy and girl who sing their way into your hearts. Carlisle and Jones (the only boy singer to appear in more than one Marx Brothers movie) are clearly the best pair to ever take on these thankless roles. The boys clearly like her and take her seriously, which she does in return, giving "A Night at the Opera" a sense of heart. This does not happen in Marx Brothers movies (compare it to the campy efforts of the young lovers in "Animal Crackers"). On top of all this, Carlisle and Jones can sing and their duet from the end of Il Travatore is much better than all the sappy songs that the lovers usually sing in these films.

"A Night at the Opera" is directed by Sam Wood (who would later spend some time directing scenes on that "Gone With the Wind" film you hear so much about). James Kevin McGuineess receives story credit but the key thing is that George S. Kaufman had a major hand in the script (until it ended up in the hands of the actors of course).

Notes: Look for the father of the Marx brothers on the pier when the ship sets sail and please remember that it Leonard's stage name is pronounced "Chick-o" not "Chico." Put an end to this Marxist reinterpretation nonsense.

The beginning of the decline
Many think this film the best or one of the best the Brothers Marx ever did. It's probably a matter of taste (well, it's certainly a matter of taste), but I think the first MGM comedy by the Marx Brothers is scattershot. Groucho, Chico and Harpo are in top form, and when they're on -- and allowed to dominate a scene -- the film is terrific. The stateroom scene is still funny after 70 years, and the finale at the opera is Marxist anarchy at its finest.

But when they're off screen (at least a third of the movie), you're left with an embarrassing melodrama I'm sure the movegoing audiences of 1935 found as sappy as I did. Bad enough the young Italian lovers sound like they're from New England section of Italy; worse are the musical interludes, which bring the film to a halt and destroy any comedic momentum the Marxes have created. A scene where Chico, Harpo and Jones show off their musical prowess goes on far too long and completely stops the film. Their earlier comedies had musical interludes, but they were woven into the films better. The opening number in Duck Soup, for example, is a lengthy set-up to the first joke; ditto the "We're Going to War" number. When the young lovers in A Night at the Opera sing "Alone," there's nothing but the youngsters staring moonily at each other. Their voices are fine, but the studios of the time were never short of movies with beautiful youngsters singing to each other. It's unnecessary here, and it reminds you the Marx Brothers aren't on screen.

"A Night at the Opera" was the Marxes' most successful comedy at the box office, and probably the most popular film they ever did. But time has been kinder to their earlier Paramount productions. Those films are stagebound, but they have a madcap energy the MGM films never recovered.

If you're a real fan of the Marx Brothers, you've probably already seen this; the rest of you should start with Duck Soup or Horse Feathers. A Night at the Opera was, unfortunately, the beginning of the end for this legendary team.

"No need of you reading that, because these are duplicates."
Many have argued that A NIGHT AT THE OPERA is the Marx Brother's finest film, pointing out that it combined the best of the Brother's comedy with the biggest and boldest in MGM production values. Personally, while I really like the film, I wouldn't quite put it in the top slot. Any of the sequences containing the Marx Brothers themselves are gold, but I find that I'm not as enamored with the romantic subplot and singing as other reviewers have been (notably Leonard Maltin in this DVD's commentary). Still, arguing about which one of the fine films is actually the best is a little pointless. This is a great movie, regardless with how it compares to the others.

The biggest thing this film has going for it (outside of the wonderful Marx Brothers themselves, of course) is the big production values that MGM splashed out on. I have mixed feelings about this. On the one hand, it's nice to have some great big sets for the Brothers to clown around in (Harpo's stunt double swinging through the rafters is great), but all things considered, I think I prefer the tongue-in-cheek send-up of the big dance numbers (as done in DUCK SOUP) to the production dances which are played straight here.

Margaret Dumont is underused, which is a shame since her dignified outrage usually accounted for big laughs. She gets a good scene at the beginning, and a handful of opportunities to look indignant later in the film, but she isn't the constant presence that she had been in other films.

Still, while I can pick out a few flaws here and there, this is overall a hilarious and fun movie. Much of what is considered classic Marx Brothers material is from this film: the too-many-people-in-the-stateroom scene, the Marxian deconstruction of a legal contract (if anyone thinks that "'The party of the first part' shall be known in this contract as 'the party of the first part'" isn't realistic, then I can show you fine print I've received from credit card companies that are even more tautological than that), and, of course, the grand finale wherein the three brothers completely destroy an opera-in-progress.

The DVD also contains an all-new documentary, which features (among other people) co-star Kitty Carlisle, who is amazingly sharp for being in her 90s, and Dom DeLuise, who talks a lot about food and appears to have been interviewed in the middle of making breakfast (no, I'm not sure why he's here). This is mostly a talking heads interview documentary and there's not a whole lot of brand new material or trivia, but it is nice to see some differing perspectives on things. The story of how Groucho got his name contradicts the anecdote given on the commentary track, and Carlisle refutes the conventional wisdom that states that Margaret Dumont didn't get any of the jokes Groucho was bouncing off her.

A short except from a 1961 broadcast of "The Hy Gardner Show" (who?) reveals Groucho recounting the story of he and his brothers stripping naked and roasting potatoes in the office of Irving Thalberg after the famed producer kept them waiting once too long. I trust you will enjoy the anecdote, because it's told a whopping three times during the course of these DVD extras. Shockingly, none of the tellings blatantly contradict each other.

Two shorts have been included as extras, though I'm not sure I understand their relevance. Robert Benchley's HOW TO SLEEP won the Academy Award in 1935 for Best Short Subject/Comedy, and it's certainly entertaining enough. As for the other short, SUNDAY NIGHT AT THE TROCADERO, well, I'm baffled. I can't make heads or tails of it. Set in a nightclub, a Hollywood talent scout is visiting this ritzy affair. Numerous song and dance people are attempting auditions, while the club's doorman is trying to impress by doing very bad celebrity impersonations (it didn't help that half the time I didn't recognize the name of the person he was impersonating or the name of the person people actually thought he was doing). Cameos by stars of the day abound by having the camera cut to different tables and a voice over shouting, "Hey, look! It's Bob Has-been!" (or whoever). It isn't helped by the fact that most of the careers of these minor celebrities ended soon after the shoot, so for me I was watching cattle call of anonymous hotshots. I couldn't figure out why these people were appearing as themselves. Was the audience supposed to believe that these people really hang out at this fictional locale? Groucho Marx (out of character and costume) has a three-second cameo where he looks as confused as I felt.

I'm wary of commentaries performed by people who weren't actually born when the film they're talking about was made, but Leonard Maltin does a fine job here. He relates a lot of anecdotes about the Marx Brothers, points out how the script is layering the subplots, and relates a lot of trivia that I had never heard before (for example, the only surviving print is actually an edited version made during WWII when all references to Italy have been removed, which explains why the film bizarrely never tells you were the first scenes are set). He even gets into the fun, shouting "What a twit!" when the evil opera singer refuses to sing on the cruise-liner for free.

Although the DVD of A NIGHT AT THE OPERA is included in "The Marx Brothers Collection" box set, it is also available for individual sale. Although I slightly prefer A DAY AT THE RACES (also out on DVD now), I couldn't recommend anyone not pick up this film. For Marx novices, there's a great movie. For Marx aficionados, there's informational material that may be enjoyed. In any event, the powers that be have given a great film an excellent treatment on the DVD format.

Tiresome
Almost everything I write about stuff for Amazon gets either ignored or negative responses. I hardly expect this to fare any better. My original intent was to buy the 7 disc set of the Marx Bros (also just released), I grew faint-hearted near the deadline and canceled it and ordered the only 3 I wanted: Opera, Races and Casablanca. I think the first 5 "lost" Marx Bros movies (I have them on DVD and treasure them, all but Duck Soup, with a screenplay by one of their song-writing teams) are (so far) their funniest. Chaos, pandemonium, idiosyncrasies, personality. Either I was despondent when I watched this flick or else the Marx Bros' antics had worn thin for me. (I remember loving all their movies 30 years ago.) I was bored, saw what was supposed to be funny and didn't think it was. There were a few witty remarks, but those came from either Kaufman or Ryskind, not the Marx Bros. And on that subject, I never (at least not before The Solid Gold Cadillac) thought I'd ever watch or read a Kaufman play and not think it was hilarious. I did not think this was hilarious. The opera they featured at the end was Verdi's Il Trovatore, I don't like that opera anyway, particularly the mezzo gypsy song, particularly all of it. I thought the whole movie was watery, thin, dull and not the best of the Marxes, and not particularly funny. I just opened Casablanca. Tomorrow morning I'll take a crack at it, though I remember much of it now. I remember (and make the connection between that movie and this) that Harpo had gone from being an innocent who chases girls to a character who gets knocked around a lot by the heavies. I don't like the change. The characters, the (well, I said it already) idiosyncrasies and personalities of the brothers just weren't there in this movie. Sigh. I have 2 more to go. ... Read more

Reviews (10)

THE CLASH OF THE TITANS...
Superlative soaper in which two cousins, Charlotte (Bette Davis) and Delia (miriam Hopkins) have the misfortune to love the same man, Clem (George Brent), with lifetime repercussions for both.

The film begins around the time of the Civil War. Clem returns home, only to find that the woman he loves, Delia, is getting married that same day. She is marrying a rich banker and, though she loves Clem, a ne'er do well, she wants security, so she goes through with the marriage. Seeing and seizing an opportunity, Charlotte declares herself to Clem, telling him how she has always loved him, as he goes off to fight in the war.

Duting the war, Charlotte manages to hook up with Clem long enough to get pregnant. While away, ostensibly to recover from an illness, she has Clem's out of wedlock baby, unbeknownst to the very married Delia. Clem, in the meantime is killed in action. When Charlotte returns home, she converts her stables into a foundling home for war orphans. Among them is a special favorite named Tina.

Charlotte decides to marry her cousin's brother-in-law. On the day of her wedding, Charlotte confesses to Delia what happened between her and Clem and tells her the truth about Tina. Delia, insanely jealous over this, puts a crimp in Charlotte's wedding plans. and the wedding never takes place.

Charlotte remains single and becomes a bitter and formidable woman whom Tina knows as Aunt Charlotte. Delia, meanwhile, has Tina call her "Mummy", much to Charlotte's chagrin. Delia is having the ultimate revenge, as she has never forgiven Charlotte for her amatory trespass. As Tina grows into womanhood, she speaks disparagingly to Charlotte, saving her love and adoration for "Mummy". As Tina approaches the age at which young women marry, Charlotte makes the ultimate sacrifice for her daughter. It is a sacrific that Tina will never know, but one that will allow Tina to have the hapiness that Charlotte never had.

Miriam Hopkins and Bette Davis give wonderful performances, each compelling in its own way. Charlotte's appearance toward the end of the film is a caricature of the proverbial old maid, while Delia remains youthful and vibrant. Undoubtedly, Charlotte's appearance is a result of her suffering, knowing that her own flesh and blood loves another, as a child love's its mother. This is a film that will long be remembered by the viewer for the performances given by these two divas.

"Aunt" Charlotte
Bette Davis stars as an unmarried mother in 1870's America who allows her wealthier, widowed cousin Miriam Hopkins to raise her daughter, thus saving the child and herself from any scandal. The child's father, George Brent, was Hopkins' former fiance, and was killed in the Civil War. Needless to say, it's a painful thing to watch her daughter calling another woman Mother. Davis gives a sympathetic, tightly controlled performance that anchors the film. Hopkins' character isn't well defined, although she manages to give the character some dimension. Brent, in the presence of these two actresses staking their territories, is his customary non-presence. Jane Bryan, as the grown up daughter, again shows that it is too bad her career in Hollywood didn't last more than a few years. She's excellent as the spoiled, headstrong girl. The film has a number of quiet, moving moments, although I found the pacing a little slow. Of course, this isn't the ideal subject matter for me in a film, but I do recognize the quality of the film. I think fans of melodrama and Davis will certainly want to make a point of seeing this movie. I think there are other better unwed mother films, but this one also delivers.

Pretty Racy Stuff!
Considering our perception of those prudish days gone by, this one has a pretty racy storyline rife with infidelity, adultery and illegitimacy. Bette Davis is great in the first half, even while Miriam Hopkins emotes wildly like a silent movie actress. Unfortunately, the movie falls apart in the second half and Davis plays everything on one note, with an absurd makeup job that screams out community theatre. We come to expect a gigantic payoff that is never delivered. A disappointment, but not bad rainy afternoon matinee fare.

Davis triumphs in classic tearjerker
This melodrama / tearjerker is fairly typical of Hollywood from the 1930s to the 1960s - a basically decent woman breaks the moral code of her day and pays dearly for it. The story is interesting, but its biggest asset is Bette Davis' rather subdued performance as Charlotte Lovell, the woman who pays the price. Made in 1939, the film is from Davis' golden period. She was nominated for an Academy Award every year from 1939 to 1943. While her work here is strong, she received no special acclaim for it, possibly because the role is so similar to the one she played in the superior "Jezebel", for which she won an Oscar in 1939.

The movie begins during the Civil War. Socialite Delia Lovell [Miriam Hopkins] is about to be wed, and her cousin Charlotte is in attendance. When Delia learns that the man she promised to marry two years earlier is in town, she sends Charlotte to beg him not to make a scene. The guy is one Charlotte is secretly in love with, and she winds up consoling him in a very intimate fashion. Several years pass. The man has been killed in the war, and Charlotte is running a home for war orphans. When Delia learns that one of the children is actually one Charlotte had out of wedlock and that the father was the dead soldier, she destroys Charlotte's chance to marry a very prominent man. In a cruel twist of fate, Charlotte's daughter grows up in Delia's home and is led to believe that her mother is her aunt.

Bette Davis was a rather unusual star for her time because she was also a consummate actress. As such, she demanded roles in which glamour and beauty were often cast aside. Stunningly pretty in the first part of the movie, she spends the rest of it heavily made up to look like a dowdy old maid aunt. It's a startling transformation. By contrast, her co-star, Ms. Hopkins, typical of female stars at the time, barely ages at all. Hopkins actually gives a sensitive, studied performance, but, because of her determination to portray her character as realistically as possible, Davis totally dominates the picture.

The photography and the sets are first-rate. The script seems a little truncated, and I wonder if the print we have today is an edited one that the studio made for second run engagements. [This was a common practice in those days.] The score by Max Steiner is not one of his best and relies heavily on stock music, such as Old My Darling Clementine and Wagner's Wedding March. But when would he have had the time to compose one of his full, lush scores for the movie? He worked on at least a dozen movies that year. One of those was "Gone With the Wind".

One of Bette Davis's greatest films
I often think that "The Old Maid" has been unfairly forgotten by film historians and tends to get overshadowed by the other famous Davis vechicles of this time like "Dark Victory", "Now Voyager" and "The Letter".

Bette Davis has never been better than in the role of Charlotte Lovell a young lady who by one indiscretion is doomed to spend her life as a bitter old maid not being able to be a real mother to her daughter who turns to others for affection and guidance.

The film is justly famous as the first of two on screen teamings of Davis and Miriam Hopkins which resulted in fireworks on a daily basis as the two locked horns on every aspect of the production making it a nightmare assignment for talented director Edmund Goulding. The behind the scenes story of this production makes very amusing reading as two notorius scene stealers and grand dames went into daily war with each other. Amazingly this terrible tension however never shows on screen and the two women have a terrific screen chemistry that glows in one scene after another.

"The Old Maid" is a beautiful story that is nevertheless one full of tragedy, regret and pent up emotions. Davis's character has a brief affair with George Brent's character after Hopkins character passes him over to marry into money. The result is a child which Miriam Hopkins adapts and raises as her own . "Tina" the child, spends her youth calling Davis "Aunt Charlotte" and never does find out the truth about who her mother actually is. It is the stuff that great soaps are made of but the two actresses here carry it off beautifully and raise the story to great art.

George Brent, so often a co star in Davis vechicles here plays Clem Spencer, the object of both women's affection who is killed in the civil war. Brent's character dies less than half way through the film but his presence remains front and centre for the rest of the film and largely controls the lives of both women. He is very effective in his role and appears less stiff than he does in alot of Warner Bros 1940's vechicles. The great character actor Donald Crisp lends his usual dignified presence to this production. Crisp, an exceptional actor, I dont think ever gave a bad performance and here plays the family Doctor who witnesses over a number of years all the tragedy and heartbreak experienced by the two women and is the only one , with the exception of Hopkins's Delia, who knows Tina's real parentage.

The overraul look of the film is lavish and I feel it resembles an MGM production in some ways more than a Warner Bros one. Attention to sets and in particular costumnes and lighting is first class and in reality Bette Davis, long thought of as no great beauty in Hollywood here looks terrific and in the scene where she is in her own Wedding dress for her marriage which doesn't take place, she looks stunning.

"The Old Maid" has so many wonderfully touching moments and the one that never fails to move me is the concluding moment of the film after Tina's own wedding has taken place and where finally Delia and Charlotte are able to unite and put aside past grievances and regrets and walk arm in arm back through the front door which closes behind them. Never fails to bring great emotion forward!!!

As a less well known film of Bette Davis I know you will be very moved by this excellent production which I would rate among her top 5 performances. ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

Critic Pauline Kael called this shamelessly enjoyable, vintage Bette Davis weepie a "kitsch classic," and time hasn't diminished its ability to give the tear ducts a good flushing. Davis plays a swinging socialite, living the fast life of booze, smokes, and--with the help of Humphrey Bogart as her Irish stableman--raising thoroughbred horses. When a brain tumor starts giving her headaches and eroding her vision, she falls in love with her surgeon (George Brent), who grows more determined than ever to cure her. Davis gives one of her most vibrant performances, and her costars also include Ronald Reagan and Geraldine Fitzgerald. The film received Oscar nominations for best picture, best actress, and for Max Steiner's score. --Jim Emerson ... Read more

Reviews (32)

Wonderful performances rise above the soapiness
"Dark Victory" stars the legendary Bette Davis as wealthy socialite Judith Traherne. She leads a life of non-stop fun and partying until a life-threatening disease begins to affect her. The supporting cast includes George Brent as surgeon Frederick Steele and Humphrey Bogart as Judith's horse trainer.

The film has a "soap opera" feeling throughout, and I found some of the plot elements to be hard to believe. But aside from those flaws, this is one classic film that is still compelling and entertaining. Davis is the center of the film, and her performance is wonderful. She brings fire and strength, as well as vulnerability and serenity, to this memorable character. The supporting cast is up to the high standard set by Davis. It's particularly fun to see a young Ronald Reagan as one of Judith's party set. Unfortunately, Bogart's character seems to be neglected by the time the film is over.

The opulent set and costume design make the film a real pleasure to watch, and are superbly enhanced by the film's glorious black-and-white cinematography. Max Steiner's appropriately melodramatic musical score also fits well into the mix. If you love classic movies, I recommend this film highly.

Prognosis . . positive.
This film is one of Davis's best, and she definitely would've taken home the Oscar the year this film was made (1939) if not for Vivien Leigh coming along and spoiling things with "Gone With the Wind." Bette plays Judith Traherne (another role which originated on the stage with Tallulah Bankhead . . unfortunately there, unlike here, it was a flop), one of her strongest protagonists outside of Margo Channing in "All About Eve": a spoiled, carefree girl whose life is endangered by a brain tumor. George Brent plays the doctor who operates on her and eventually becomes her husband; he's adequate, but Davis's performance makes up for Brent's rather cardboard portrayal of the doctor (she talks at about twice the speed he does). There's also a couple early performances by Ronald Reagan (as a rich friend of Davis's) and Humphrey Bogart (as her stablehand . . he also has a tiny crush on our heroine). One of the nicest surprises about this movie is the terrific performance by Geraldine Fitzgerald, as Davis's best friend Ann . . their final scene together is just tremendous. Bigtime Davis fans (like me) may chuckle just a bit at Davis's Judith as she progresses through the "bitterness" stage of her grief (one scene in particular is when she's ordering in the restaurant: "I'd like a healthy dose of . . PROGNOSIS NEGATIVE!") An outstanding film from an actress who could do worlds better with a bad script than most actors could do with good ones.

Great Classic, Sorry DVD!
When you see grade z movies being issued with beautiful transfers and 1 to 2 extra discs of extras, you would think one of the great screen classics would receive similar respect. No way. I was appalled by the dismal, speckled, grainy pictute you receive on this lousy DVD. "Dark Victory" was among the five pictures in l939 nominated by the Academy Award as The Best. Not only was it nominated for best musical score by the great Max Steiner, but its luscious black and white photography was also up for Best of the Year. My VHS tape of this classic shows a beautiful black and white beauty. Whoever was responsible for approving this truly dismal disc of one of Hollywood's greatest classics should be fired. And oh yeah, as for great extras, you do actually get one tiny little preview. This shows you what type of respect the creators of this DVD had for this masterpiece, starring America's greatest movie actress!

Lesbian humanism
This, one of Bette's best films, was probably known in its day as a "woman's" picture...what is now known as a chick flick.

However, it is structured in such a way as to show that Bette's Judith Traherne's moral growth is one that starts as a negotiable, but real, demand to be treated as an adult by her horrible mother, and to be allowed to get personal gratification.

Of course, at the time it was made (a time to which US culture seems to be regressing) many families forced women, and some men, to forget about their own satisfaction using a moral code in which to do so was to be "selfish."

But the movie goes on to show that Judith Traherne is unavoidably compassionate towards others and makes her later altruism flow out of her struggle for personal satisfaction.

This is astonishingly intelligent for it is a dialectic. The "thesis" is the demand by Judith's mother that Bette sacrifice herself. The antithesis is the way that Bette says, up yours, Mom. The synthesis is that Bette is able to return to a new, and higher form of caring for others in the way she "adopts" a repressed and frightened girl.

Of course, crude interpretations of identity politics aren't dialectical. They consist of non-negotiable, zero-sum and winner-take-all demands for "rights" in which the losers are expected to act like losers, and not fight back...as in the case of the Born to Lose "angry white male." In particular, lesbianism becomes in the social sense a kind of Bantustan, in which the privilege to walk down the street hand-in-hand is continually under threat, because it is assumed to deny heterosexuals a right not to be offended.

The lesbianism in the film is of course quiet in its time and consists in Judith's denial that she "needs" a man (which was quite daring in its time.) Lesbian humanism is the denial that a person, usually a woman, should not have to implement power in the small and it points to the destruction it results.

The film is almost enough to make me a lesbian. Unfortunately, and as Garrison Keillor has pointed out, to be a male lesbian is nearly an oxymoron. But, in view of the hatred for women that is on-tap in our society, perhaps Keillor is wrong, and their are very few male lesbians.

"Humanism" is no longer a singular term because, of course, the immediately preceding generation confused sets of actual humans with all of humanity. Nonetheless it exists as an abstraction which is, I think, instantiated in any narrative of a struggle that is genuinely human, and made so by a dialectical refusal to stay only in personal gratification or self-sacrifice.

GREAT MOVIE GETS A DISMAL TRANSFER
Bette Davis is outstanding as Judy Traherne, a Long Island rich girl with a fatal brain tumor. For a time Judy believes that she's been cured, a myth supported by her doctor (George Brent)who is starting to fall in love with her. Cameos by Ronald Reagan and Humphrey Bogart are welcomed inclusions that enhance the film's dramatic appeal.
Unfortunately, Warner acquired this title from a tired, worn print in the MGM library. The print is full of grain, chips, scratches, inconsistant shadow and contrast delineation and digital grit. There are several occasions where the entire image within the frame wobbles up and down, due to worn out sprocket holes. The visual experience during such instances is akin to riding a canoe through choppy seas. The audio is strident and scratchy. Overall this is a disappointing visual experience and one that Warner needs to rectify soon, before we lose this great classic forever to the ravages of time. ... Read more

Reviews (32)

Wonderful performances rise above the soapiness
"Dark Victory" stars the legendary Bette Davis as wealthy socialite Judith Traherne. She leads a life of non-stop fun and partying until a life-threatening disease begins to affect her. The supporting cast includes George Brent as surgeon Frederick Steele and Humphrey Bogart as Judith's horse trainer.

The film has a "soap opera" feeling throughout, and I found some of the plot elements to be hard to believe. But aside from those flaws, this is one classic film that is still compelling and entertaining. Davis is the center of the film, and her performance is wonderful. She brings fire and strength, as well as vulnerability and serenity, to this memorable character. The supporting cast is up to the high standard set by Davis. It's particularly fun to see a young Ronald Reagan as one of Judith's party set. Unfortunately, Bogart's character seems to be neglected by the time the film is over.

The opulent set and costume design make the film a real pleasure to watch, and are superbly enhanced by the film's glorious black-and-white cinematography. Max Steiner's appropriately melodramatic musical score also fits well into the mix. If you love classic movies, I recommend this film highly.

Prognosis . . positive.
This film is one of Davis's best, and she definitely would've taken home the Oscar the year this film was made (1939) if not for Vivien Leigh coming along and spoiling things with "Gone With the Wind." Bette plays Judith Traherne (another role which originated on the stage with Tallulah Bankhead . . unfortunately there, unlike here, it was a flop), one of her strongest protagonists outside of Margo Channing in "All About Eve": a spoiled, carefree girl whose life is endangered by a brain tumor. George Brent plays the doctor who operates on her and eventually becomes her husband; he's adequate, but Davis's performance makes up for Brent's rather cardboard portrayal of the doctor (she talks at about twice the speed he does). There's also a couple early performances by Ronald Reagan (as a rich friend of Davis's) and Humphrey Bogart (as her stablehand . . he also has a tiny crush on our heroine). One of the nicest surprises about this movie is the terrific performance by Geraldine Fitzgerald, as Davis's best friend Ann . . their final scene together is just tremendous. Bigtime Davis fans (like me) may chuckle just a bit at Davis's Judith as she progresses through the "bitterness" stage of her grief (one scene in particular is when she's ordering in the restaurant: "I'd like a healthy dose of . . PROGNOSIS NEGATIVE!") An outstanding film from an actress who could do worlds better with a bad script than most actors could do with good ones.

Great Classic, Sorry DVD!
When you see grade z movies being issued with beautiful transfers and 1 to 2 extra discs of extras, you would think one of the great screen classics would receive similar respect. No way. I was appalled by the dismal, speckled, grainy pictute you receive on this lousy DVD. "Dark Victory" was among the five pictures in l939 nominated by the Academy Award as The Best. Not only was it nominated for best musical score by the great Max Steiner, but its luscious black and white photography was also up for Best of the Year. My VHS tape of this classic shows a beautiful black and white beauty. Whoever was responsible for approving this truly dismal disc of one of Hollywood's greatest classics should be fired. And oh yeah, as for great extras, you do actually get one tiny little preview. This shows you what type of respect the creators of this DVD had for this masterpiece, starring America's greatest movie actress!

Lesbian humanism
This, one of Bette's best films, was probably known in its day as a "woman's" picture...what is now known as a chick flick.

However, it is structured in such a way as to show that Bette's Judith Traherne's moral growth is one that starts as a negotiable, but real, demand to be treated as an adult by her horrible mother, and to be allowed to get personal gratification.

Of course, at the time it was made (a time to which US culture seems to be regressing) many families forced women, and some men, to forget about their own satisfaction using a moral code in which to do so was to be "selfish."

But the movie goes on to show that Judith Traherne is unavoidably compassionate towards others and makes her later altruism flow out of her struggle for personal satisfaction.

This is astonishingly intelligent for it is a dialectic. The "thesis" is the demand by Judith's mother that Bette sacrifice herself. The antithesis is the way that Bette says, up yours, Mom. The synthesis is that Bette is able to return to a new, and higher form of caring for others in the way she "adopts" a repressed and frightened girl.

Of course, crude interpretations of identity politics aren't dialectical. They consist of non-negotiable, zero-sum and winner-take-all demands for "rights" in which the losers are expected to act like losers, and not fight back...as in the case of the Born to Lose "angry white male." In particular, lesbianism becomes in the social sense a kind of Bantustan, in which the privilege to walk down the street hand-in-hand is continually under threat, because it is assumed to deny heterosexuals a right not to be offended.

The lesbianism in the film is of course quiet in its time and consists in Judith's denial that she "needs" a man (which was quite daring in its time.) Lesbian humanism is the denial that a person, usually a woman, should not have to implement power in the small and it points to the destruction it results.

The film is almost enough to make me a lesbian. Unfortunately, and as Garrison Keillor has pointed out, to be a male lesbian is nearly an oxymoron. But, in view of the hatred for women that is on-tap in our society, perhaps Keillor is wrong, and their are very few male lesbians.

"Humanism" is no longer a singular term because, of course, the immediately preceding generation confused sets of actual humans with all of humanity. Nonetheless it exists as an abstraction which is, I think, instantiated in any narrative of a struggle that is genuinely human, and made so by a dialectical refusal to stay only in personal gratification or self-sacrifice.

GREAT MOVIE GETS A DISMAL TRANSFER
Bette Davis is outstanding as Judy Traherne, a Long Island rich girl with a fatal brain tumor. For a time Judy believes that she's been cured, a myth supported by her doctor (George Brent)who is starting to fall in love with her. Cameos by Ronald Reagan and Humphrey Bogart are welcomed inclusions that enhance the film's dramatic appeal.
Unfortunately, Warner acquired this title from a tired, worn print in the MGM library. The print is full of grain, chips, scratches, inconsistant shadow and contrast delineation and digital grit. There are several occasions where the entire image within the frame wobbles up and down, due to worn out sprocket holes. The visual experience during such instances is akin to riding a canoe through choppy seas. The audio is strident and scratchy. Overall this is a disappointing visual experience and one that Warner needs to rectify soon, before we lose this great classic forever to the ravages of time. ... Read more

Reviews (11)

Watch Mary Go!!
George Brent is having a hard time managing the women in his life. He spends years in love with Bette Davis, but she won't marry him because he isn't ready to settle down. He marries fiery concert pianist Mary Astor, only to discover her divorce from her first husband isn't finalized. When she won't bend to his will, he goes back to Davis and marries her, only to disappear in the Brazilian jungle, leaving behind a broken-hearted Davis and a pregnant Astor. The story behind The Great Lie is, needless to say, a bit farfetched. It relies a lot on the viewer suspending their disbelief. What really keeps this film moving is the sparring between Davis and Astor. I've always enjoyed and appreciated Mary Astor, and in this film she's given a character right up her alley. She sinks into the roll, throwing out her lines with obvious relish and taking control of every scene she's in. Davis is good in a quieter performance, letting Astor have the spotlight. Brent is his usual self, and Hattie McDaniel is given more dialogue and character to work with than her standard maid role, and she is very strong. The music is a bit overpowering and over the top, but then again, so is the whole scenario of the story. The strength of this melodrama is Mary Astor in one of her best performances. The film is never believable, but she makes it fun to watch.

Excellent film with great performances from Davis and Astor
This is one of the long run of film successes Bette Davis enjoyed in her golden period at Warners in the Early 40's. The film is very interesting as it provides a strong role for another female, in this case the marvellous Mary Astor. The film develops into an emotional tug of war between these two strong women, first over the George Brent character and then Astor's son. Bette Davis in a refreshing change in pace plays the nice girl while Mary Astor has a field day in the role of the selfish concert pianist for which she rightly won the academy award that year as best supporting actress. I always enjoy Astor's film acting from "Midnight" to "The Maltese Falcon" to "Meet Me in St Louis" She was a superb actress who had a rather disjointed film career ranging from playing femme fatales to loving mothers. In "The Great Lie" she has never been better and more than holds her own up against Bette Davis in the acting honours. One would have thought there would be fireworks on the set of this production as there was between Bette and Miriam Hopkins during production of the superb "The Old Maid" but no the two got on very well together, worked beautifully together and Mary Astor ever after spoke highly of Davis's care towards her during production and publicly thanked her during her Oscar acceptance speech for her help during production of "The Great Lie"
The production itself shows all the care that went into a Bette Davis production during the 40's. The supporting cast from the Warner Bros stable namely George Brent is excellent as always. With superb actresses like Lucile Watson and the wonderful Hattie Mcdaniel (who has some really beautiful dialogue in the scenes after Davis "adapts" Astor's baby ) how could the production go wrong? The musical score is also one of the best of the early forties as well.
Soap Opera it may be but done with such finesse that the whole viewing is an engrossing experience. There are a number of amusing scenes included as well like the scene of Bette "pacing" up and done like an expectant father while Astor goes into labour which at the time was viewed as being "too Lesbian"!!! Also worth mentioning is Astor's "mad" scene as she gets fed up with living in the desert with Davis..it's a riot and her scream sounds like something out of "Whatever happened to Baby Jane"!! It's such a hoot
I recommend this great film strongly, firstly as a great showcase for two fine actresses working superbly off each other and secondly as a great example of Hollywood production and the excellent care that went into these films in the Golden era of Hollywood

How'd I miss this one?
I love these old movies -- I often get hooked in the early morning on AMC and TCM, have to get to work late! But I'd never seen this one before. Great soapy movie. Two things really stand out: Bette Davis is just beautiful in this film, and usually she --frankly -- looks a little odd. The second thing is, how expectant mothers behaved in the 40's! Twelve cigarettes since lunch indeed.

TWO DIVAS FOR THE PRICE OF ONE..AT THEIR MELODRAMATIC BEST..
This 1941 film release is a superlative melodrama with a classic cast. The stellar ensemble of Bette Davis, George Brent, Mary Astor, Hattie McDaniel, and Lucille Watson lights up the screen in this story of true love. It is Mary Astor, however, who sends it soaring and leaves little doubt as to why she won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress.

Mary Astor plays the role of Sandra, a temperamental concert pianist, who marries Peter (George Brent), the on again, off again beau of Sandra's rival, Maggie (Bette Davis). They get married while Peter is in an alcoholic stupor in New York. After spending the night together, it turns out that their marriage was not legal, as Sandra's divorce from her first husband was not final. When Sandra is faced with the choice of marrying him on the day the divorce is final or playing a concert, she makes a choice that leaves Peter free to marry Maggie.

Shortly after their marriage, Peter, an experienced aviator and cartographer, is called away on a governmental mission. In the interim, Sandra tells Maggie that she is carrying Peter's child and vows to use that fact to get him back. Peter's plane, however, is reported missing over a remote area of the Amazon jungle, and he is presumed dead. This, of course, throws a monkey wrench into Sandra's plans, as she does not want the baby without Peter. Maggie, who is not pregnant and has no hope now of ever having a child by Peter, strikes a deal with Sandra that will allow Maggie to pass off Sandra's and Peter's baby, as if it were hers and Peter's. It is like making a pact with the devil, as Maggie will soon find out.

This is an enormously entertaining film with great dialogue between the two protagonists, Sandra and Maggie. Ms. Astor does a decided star turn as the temperamental and brilliant, world acclaimed concert pianist. Ms. Astor plays her as a diva of the first order, and she deservedly won an Academy Award for her performance. The role of Maggie, who is the good girl from the south, has its moments in the hands of such an accomplished actress as Ms. Davis. The dialogue between the two is always crisp and interesting. George Brent is perfectly cast in the role of Peter, a wealthy chap who is desired by two gloriously different women. Lucille Watson has a small part as Maggie's aunt, and Hattie McDaniel plays Maggie's ever present mammy. The film is topped of by the powerful music of Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto.

This is a film that lovers of classic melodramas will enjoy, as will lovers of classical music.

FANTASTIC
Nothing more to add except that two of my favorite scenes are when Mary Astor loses it in the desert, she starts screaming and Bette Davis (looking beautiful in that sweater) promptly slaps her TWICE. Is this cult or what?. Then when her husband chooses her (crying) over Astor. Isn't it a great classic? (Soundtrack perfect) ... Read more

Reviews (24)

GRAND ENTERTAINMENT.....
The Best Picture of 1931-2 "Grand Hotel" deserved it's Oscar and deserves it's place in history as a forerunner of star-studded films to come. The cast alone is worth watching the film for. But the film stands on it's own as well and is smoothly done considering the intertwining stories of various people whose paths (and fates) cross in that posh Berlin establishment. Greta Garbo as a depressed ballerina is one reason to see this but there's John and Lionel Barrymore in great roles, Joan Crawford as an ambitious stenographer with moral issues, Wallace Beery and other recognizable actors in character roles. Warner Bros. has done a good job with the DVD print so this is definitely a collector's item. There are some amazing interior shots inside the hotel with a wonderful art deco look to them. This hotel where "nothing ever happens" is a must for vintage classic film lovers. It's a rare treasure that's been wonderfully preserved for future film lovers to enjoy. See it for a classic look at what going to the movies in the 30's used to be about.

"People come, people go...nothing ever happens"
Although the whole cast deserves accolades, it is the work of Lionel Barrymore that I find compelling. He plays Otto Kringelin, the regular working man who finds himself incurably ill. He decides to spend his last days in luxury at the beautiful Grand Hotel. He makes the acquaintance of a baron (his brother, John), acquires a girlfriend (Joan Crawford), and gets a chance to tell off his boss (Wallace Beery). He achieves the dream that many people have, but never realize. His acting throughout is honest and you find yourself cheering for him.

The casting of this movie shows absolute genius. Garbo is beautiful and engimatic as Grusenskaya the dancer, John Barrymore is the suave but impovrished baron masquerading as a jewel thief, Joan Crawford as Flamchen never looked more beautiful (although she appears in yet another of her stenographer roles), and Wallace Beery comes off well as the ruthless businessman. All of the personalities blend together to make this a memorable film.

The quote "Grand Hotel...people come, people go, nothing ever happens" is the opening and closing line of the movie, but don't let that fool you! A lot happens and this movie is well worth the time it takes you to see it.

A 5-star Movie in a 3-star DVD package
The extra features on this DVD edition are highly desirable -- get the DVD for the features, but get a recent VHS tape for a better print. The DVD release is so grainy it's fuzzy and often seems out-of-focus. Contrast is murky is many scenes. In one specific scene: when Joan Crawford enters a dark room and discovers Beery standing over the baron's corpse; the grim heaviness of the textures and depth of shadows, the stark horror on Crawford's face -- these are lost in the fuzzy grain of the DVD but are clearly preserved on VHS. Having seen this film many times on the big screen and on tape, it appears that the DVD seriously lacks the smooth, almost lush visual quality of earlier issues. This is also one of those old-line films that looks gorgeous on a big theater screen but suffers dramatically on smaller devices. Despite the shortcomings of the DVD, this is still the grande ol' Grand Hotel of yore, a relic (but a magnificent one) of late Victorian melodrama (and dig Rachmaninoff in the background during Garbo's scenes!). But I'd still advise the VHS tape if you want the rich graphics of the original. It also appears that the master for this transfer, whatever its source, has visible physical defects that I don't see on earlier tapes. The 2-channel DVD sound is not representative of the weighty mono original, has a clearly audible hiss and too much treble. The sexy undertone of Garbo's voice is missing here, as is J. Barrymore's dramatic baritone (Compare scene 8 on the DVD when Barrymore mutters "I don't like your tone", with the VHS version -- audibly, the sound of that line on the tape is more darkly effective). The look and sound of the DVD fail to convey the unique, all-important "deco" qualities that somehow add so much to the original film's overall effect. I'd suggest that the VHS edition is something most classic movie fans will appreciate more than they would the DVD. An aside: originally, Garbo didn't want to share star honors with Crawford out of fear that Crawford would diminish Garbo's role. Garbo was partially correct: Crawford steals the show, but Garbo is still a sight to behold.

MGM at its best!
If you want to know about Hollywood splendor... this is your movie. The "golden age of the movies" greatest studio was the MGM and Mr. Mayer and company put all the best in this brilliant adaptation of Vicki Baum novel. I love every frame of it. The art deco, the music, the stars... Oh, my God! This is cinema! The cast is superb. The Barrymore brothers, the little Crawford (then), the great Beery. And Lewis Stone, what a kind of gentleman and good actor. And Garbo, of course. When she is sad, you are sad. When she is happy, you are happy. And when she said: "The sun!". Is summer for us.

Grand But Depressing
I'm breaking a rule here. I usually write a review for lesser known vintage films to help them out but shun the big name classics. Looking at the boatload of reviews for GRAND HOTEL confirms my policy until I realized that nobody seemed to mention the one distinction that first time viewers will catch in the first five minutes - it's very depressing!

I enjoy this film because I'm a big John Barrymore fan and it's neat to see him with his brother Lionel. But if you feel in need of a Prozac, then don't watch this film. Just look at the characters. Lionel B. of course is terminally ill. John B. is broke and buglarizes guest rooms until he's caught and killed. Garbo is a suicidal ballerina who will probably kill herself when she gets to Vienna and realizes that John B. won't be joining her there as planned (because he's dead). Joan Crawford is the secretary who lives on her youth and looks that will fade in time. Lewis Stone is the alcoholic face-scarred doctor who is numb to human interaction. Wallace Beery's industrialist winds up utterly ruined both personally and financially. And Jean Hersolt's wife has the longest labor to deliver a baby in history.

If this is living the high life, spare me please. But in 1932, GRAND HOTEL must have been a welcomed diversion to the very real problems the nation faced as the Great Depression worsened. After all, who would want to trade places with any of the characters? Even the news reel of the film's premiere is depressing as Jean Harlow walks up with her husband Paul Bern (who tries to hide his face). Bern committed suicide a few months later. Prozac anybody? ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Laurel & Hardy & The Three Stooges.
You will find very few movies with Laurel & Hardy & The Three Stooges in them but this one has both the legendary comedy teams. Although the movie isn't that good both the appearance by the Stooges and Laurel and Hardy made it a worthwhile purchase for me and would probably for any Stooges or Laurel & Hardy fan. The appearance by the Stooges comes with their original leader Ted Healy. The funniest bit in the movie is a "kissing" scene...and Laurel & Hardy have a very amusing egg fight scene as well. Overall the movie isn't really good but if you are a Laurel & Hardy or die hard Stooge fan...this movie is worth the time. If not...don't waste your time.

An average Laurel & Hardy routine, but not much else here
This 1934 Musical Comedy review does not have much to offer besides a below average Laurel & Hardy routine. Although their are songs by Rodgers & Hart, Gus Kahn and Arthur Freed, the writing does not take advantage of the few MGM stars that managed to make it into the film. Jimmy Durante and the Three Stooges you will recognize, as well as Lupe Velez who co-stars with the boys in their egg-breaking routine, but do the names Charles Butterworth, Eddie Quillan, Jack Pearl, Polly Moran and Ted Healey ring any bells out there? Laurel & Hardy's routine is done in good old fashion silence, and was included in 1964's "MGM's Big Parade of Comedy."

Laurel & Hardy steal the show in this crazy hodgepodge
M-G-M applied the all-star format of "Grand Hotel" to this jumbled musical-comedy feature, so we have vignettes with comedy stars instead of dramatic stars. The parts are definitely greater than the whole, with outstanding contributions by Laurel & Hardy (who don't show up until the last 20 minutes or so), Lupe Velez, Jimmy Durante (as a would-be movie Tarzan), Charles Butterworth (as a droll tycoon), and George Givot (as a dialect-challenged lover). Don't look for a plot, and you'll enjoy this crazy-quilt of a movie.

A hodgepodge as only MGM could do it!
HOLLYWOOD PARTY is one of those films that started out as a really great idea: a musical starring all of MGM's comedy stars. The production was troubled almost from day one, so the end result is somewhat less than great. But it's still passable entertainment that's too short to become tedious. The Rodgers and Hart score is lively, but not very memorable. Incredibly, Rodgers and Hart submitted "Blue Moon" for use in HOLLYWOOD PARTY, and it was rejected! But there are some pearly moments: an animated sequence supplied by Walt Disney is one, a funny scene with Ted Healy and His Stooges, (you know them better as The Three Stooges) is another. Best of all, are two scenes featuring Laurel and Hardy. Despite the brevity of their appearance, Stan and Ollie get top billing in the credits. Not one of the film's numerous directors receives any credit! ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Norma Shearer in her ultimate glamour role
"Rip Tide", is not a film which is well known nowadays and like much of Norma Shearer's film work has been either forgotten or relegated to the late show. Despite getting a so so nod of approval from the critics at the time it was a very successful "comeback' vechicle for Norma after two years away from the screen caring for her ailing husband the MGM boy genius Irving Thalberg who was recovering from his first heart attack. Indeed if any film apart from the classic "Marie Antoniette", and "The Women" really showcases what the Shearer chic and sophistication were all about in the glamourous 1930's the glossy "Rip Tide" was it.

"Rip Tide" relates the story of life in high society for Park Avenue socialite Mary who finds herself at the pinnacle of social status by a chance meeting with an English Lord. On a whim after accidently meeting Lord Phillip Rexford (played in usual dull style by perrenial leading man Herbert Marshall) at a bizzare insect themed party Mary marries him and settles into a comfortable, socially prominent and quite stifling existence only to find herself torn between her martial obligations as Lady of the manor and the more exciting embraces of playboy and former flame Tommie Trent (played in carefree style by Robert Montgomery). What results is scandal, double standards, deception and martial compromise before the necessary sensible resolution which finds Mary realise that home and hearth are a far better and more sensible solution than the unsure existence as the partner of a renowned party boy.

Out of such vintage soap opera has been fashioned a really superb marital drama about an era and style of life long gone. "Rip Tide", was Irving Thalberg's first big venture as an independant producer in the MGM family and he did not disappoint with a lavish vechicle in every department for his wife's official MGM comeback. Everything that the audience has come to expect of a first class MGM star vechicle of the 1930's is present here. The film boasts a wonderful supporting cast headed (Mrs.) Patrick Campbell in the role of Aunt Hetty, Mary's unofficial counsellor in all things marital. A very rare excursion into film for Campbell it is unique in capturing her superb acting talents on screen. "Rip Tide" literally glows with technical talent as well. Adrian created what were probably some of the most famous contemporary costumes here and his outfits for Norma Shearer really defined totally her glamour image as the fashion queen of MGM. The stylish Cedric Gibbons interiors for both the New York settings and those in Monte Carlo are also a sight to behold. The performances in "Rip Tide",despite its soap opera origins are also exceptional. Norma Shearer has often been the target for criticism for her acting but in truth she was never better than here in her role as Lady Mary Rexford the flighty, fun loving wife of a much different man from a totally different strata of society . She is both fun to watch and beautiful to look at and still manages to portray the stylish lady-like character which became her trade mark. Robert Montgomery in his last of a number of successful teamings with Norma registers well as the carefree and irresponsible playboy in a role similiar to that he had done in countless other MGM productions. Herbert Marshall while a dull character in the story, also gives a great performance as the husband coming from a different world to his young wife and who has great diffuclty in adapting himself to the one he truly loves.

While "Rip Tide" could be regarded as the typical MGM production it has alot more to offer than that. For those that love to see the great stars perform in roles tailored especially to their studio created personas this film is unsurpassed. Not a great deal of Norma Shearer's work is available for viewing in this day and here you have the opportunity to see her at her peak both in beauty and box office standing. Definately one for the white tie and tails, champagne set "Rip Tide" is the ideal way to lose yourself for a couple of hours in the lives of the rich and beautiful where real life worries have no place. Enjoy Norma Shearer's glamourous presence in MGM's classic "Rip Tide".

Shearer's last Pre-Code film
In this glossy MGM picture, "First Lady of the Screen", Norma Shearer, plays Mary, a reformed ex-liberated girl who marries into British Aristocracy, through the person of stuffy Lord Rexford, properly impersonated by reliable Herbert Marshall, who excelled in these type of roles, of dignified, formal and very moral husbands: I can remember "Blonde Venus" and "Angel", both opposite Marlene Dietrich, and "The Little Foxes" and "The Letter", both with Bette Davis, though one must never forget he once played brilliantly, a debonair crook and man of the world, in Lubitsch's masterpiece "Trouble in Paradise" (1932).

The film is entertaining indeed, has a fine pace, although at the same time is somewhat episodic, showcasing Norma Shearer at the epitome of her movie stardom, in her last screen appearance with frequent co-star Robert Montgomery, who's very good as the extremely bon-vivant playboy Tommie Trent. Wonderful support by Mrs. Patrick Campbell as Lady Riversleigh, Marshall's naughty and mischievous aunt and by Lilyan Tashman as Shearer's sister, who, sadly, appears too little on the screen.

The movie's plot certainly wouldn't have passed the censorship some moths later, when the Production Code was fully enforced, because Shearer would have necessarily been punished for all the playing around with playboy Montgomery, while husband Marshall is away on a business travel, so it's pretty adult stuff by later Hollywood standards of the 1940s and 1950s.

You'll be surprised by the opening sequence, which shows Shearer and Marshall dressed in very exotic and sophisticated giant insects costumes, for a lavish party.

ELUSIVE GEM.
Norma Shearer is a carefree American who's married to stuffy English Lord Marshall; when Marshall goes to America on business, old flame Robert Montgomery follows Shearer home and there are scandalous consequences.....The highlight of this rather elusive (not easily found) film is the opening sequence which has the the stars dressed as insects at a posh costume party! One of the very few films in which the legendary (and notoriously difficult) Mrs. Patrick Campbell appeared, this is a bizarrely entertaining, quality production with an inspired cast.

NORMA SHEARER AT HER COOL, CHIC APEX!
I had been trying to find "Riptide" for my video collection for some time. I really have to thank Amazon.com for providing me the opportunity to buy this out-of-print gem (and their great customer service department). Norma Shearer was a great actress on her own (despite the fact that she was wife of MGM's head of production, Irving Thalberg, a.k.a. Louis B. Mayer's "wonder boy"). In "Riptide," Shearer plays Mary, a free spirit Park Avenue socialite who, through her overly-developed sense of responsibility to an old flame, becomes inadvertantly embroiled in a tabloid-type scandal. While her proper English husband (Herbert Marshall) must travel to the U.S.A. on a working "no-wives-allowed" junket, Mary travels the Meditteranean with friends and is persuaded to help sober up her old flame (Robert Montgomery). Through the classic comedy-of-errors formula, he winds up drunkenly falling off her balcony into the hotel cafe below. The architypal drawing-room love triangle plot ensues. Especially funny are the opening scene, when the main characters are preparing to go to a costume party dressed as giant insects, and the scene where Mary and her "Aunt Hattie" get totally roaring "tipsy" in the study. Break out the champagne and orchids, this one's a keeper! ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

This Academy Award winner for Best Picture is a sweeping soap opera about the guests at the Grand Hotel. Several plots intertwine, but mostly it's about Stars! Stars! Stars! Greta Garbo, Joan Crawford, Wallace Beery, and both Barrymore brothers head up the cast. Garbo is luminous as Grusinskaya, the neurotic and famous-but-slipping dancer and, yes, she "vonts to be alone." John Barrymore is a cat burglar with blue blood and a heart of gold, and Lionel Barrymore happily caroms off him as Mr. Kringelein, a dying man who wants to live out the time he has left with the rich. Joan Crawford is perhaps the biggest surprise of the movie: as Flaemmchen, a young career girl trying to decide between secretary and tart, she is uncharacteristically funny, vivacious, and downright bubbly. Along the way we discover that money, fame, and titles don't guarantee happiness, and being a jewel thief doesn't necessarily make you a bad person. The nicest touch is the hint that other, minor plots swirl around the edges of the film, suggesting that we've only seen a small chapter of the hotel's story. Grand Hotel is a great deal of fun and an excellent chance to see some famous faces in their prime. --Ali Davis ... Read more

Reviews (24)

GRAND ENTERTAINMENT.....
The Best Picture of 1931-2 "Grand Hotel" deserved it's Oscar and deserves it's place in history as a forerunner of star-studded films to come. The cast alone is worth watching the film for. But the film stands on it's own as well and is smoothly done considering the intertwining stories of various people whose paths (and fates) cross in that posh Berlin establishment. Greta Garbo as a depressed ballerina is one reason to see this but there's John and Lionel Barrymore in great roles, Joan Crawford as an ambitious stenographer with moral issues, Wallace Beery and other recognizable actors in character roles. Warner Bros. has done a good job with the DVD print so this is definitely a collector's item. There are some amazing interior shots inside the hotel with a wonderful art deco look to them. This hotel where "nothing ever happens" is a must for vintage classic film lovers. It's a rare treasure that's been wonderfully preserved for future film lovers to enjoy. See it for a classic look at what going to the movies in the 30's used to be about.